Trials Unending
by Du Hjarta Skulblaka
Summary: Jennifer Shepard's life has been one trial after another, from her childhood on Earth to the massacre of Akuze that haunts her to this day. She struggles to share any of her fears with others...that was, until she met Liara. A telling of my Shepard's journey, starting in Mass Effect 1. Contains strong language and possible adult content as the story progresses.
1. Beginnings

Note: This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction and indeed the first writing i've done in a while. Sorry if it's rather clunky in places, I hope to improve as I go along. Please feel free to comment/criticise, anything you have to say will motivate me to write more and to make it better.

* * *

**Official Log: XX/XX/2178**

**Dr. J. Calvin, Systems Alliance Military Psychologist**

**Interview Transcript**

**Subject: J. Shepard**

**Begin Transcript:**

** :** You've been through a lot Jennifer. Do you mind if I use your first name?

**Shepard:** _-Subject remains silent. Maintains eye contact and defensive body language-_

** : **Yes, well. It's only natural to be troubled by experiences like yours. What I'm here to do is-

**Shepard:** I don't need analysed, Doctor. I'm here because I was ordered to be, nothing more.

** : **And why do you think you were ordered? I know you don't want to be here Jennifer but I'm here to help you. I was hoping we could talk about your childhood, your record says that-

**Shepard: **That isn't relevant. Yes, I spent my childhood in a gang. I don't try to hide from that, it I common knowledge, and I am not about to discuss it with you.

** : **...Very well, I can't force you. But you are here so we can talk about what happened on Akuze. Survivor's guilt is not uncommon in your situation and it's important to talk-

**Shepard:** I'm fine, Doctor Calvin. Ever since Akuze officers have been giving me looks like they expect me to break down in front of them. What happened was hard, but I got through it.

** : **But It says here that you're personal doctor has been prescribing you sleeping pills. Have you been suffering from nightmares Shepard?

**Shepard: **That's none of your business. I don't need or want your help, I'm here because I need you to confirm I'm fit got active duty. Am I?

** : **Shepard, you're being unrealistic! You need to talk to me if-

**Shepard:** I'm talking to you right now. Am. I. Fit. For. Duty.

** : **….Yes, so far as I can see you are. But-

**Shepard:** Then we're done here.

**End of transcript**

**Doctor's Notes:**

_The subject displays a dislike for psychological testing common amongst soldiers, though she seems particularly defensive with regard to her history. It is my opinion that despite her claims to the contrary, she remains troubled by her early life. She also displays some signs of stress regarding her experiences on Akuze, though she refuses to speak on it._

_It is my professional opinion that while she is indeed fit for active duty, and indeed remaining active will likely help with her mental rehabilitation, she should be watched closely. She is particularly stubborn and impressively strong willed, and believes that she can deal with any problems she may have herself. She is no doubt an extremely capable soldier and leader, but she should avoid additional stresses or responsibilities until she has fully recovered from the loss of her squad. It is likely that she will continue to blame herself for perceived failures._

* * *

**Personal Log: XX/XX/2183**

**Alliance Military Commander Jennifer Shepard**

**Log Entry #1: Promotion**

_Captain Anderson suggested that I start keeping a log for my latest assignment. I've chosen to take his advice. I never thought that I'd one day be asked to become a Spectre but once I saw the possibility I found myself grasping for it even as it threatened to slip away. I'll admit, at the time I was being driven by anger at what Saren Arterius was trying to do, but in hindsight...There's more to it than that._

_I'm hesitant to make official record of the visions I had on Eden Prime, not with first-hand experience of how militaries handle soldiers complaining of bad dreams. But then, I already made the mistake of telling the Council. I'm convinced they don't believe me and my promotion was simply a political move on their part. Still, Anderson believed me. He believed it enough to give me the Normandy. Even if the Council tries to ignore what I know is coming, at least I can be sure of his support._

_At least they seem serious about stopping Saren, even if they don't want to accept how dangerous he might be. They've provided us with info on suspected Geth attacks on Feros and Novaria for me to check out. With any luck, they should give some clues as to what Saren and the Asari working with him are after and what exactly the "Conduit" is. Apparently said Asari also has a daughter, whose been tracked to the Artemis Tau cluster. It might be a long shot, but I've chosen to investigate there first. If we're lucky, she might be helpful tracking her mother down. Worst case scenario, she's with them and we get the drop on a potential foe. Either way, it seems the most urgent._

**End of Log**

**Additional:**

_The nightmares have been getting worse. Dr. Chakwas is the only person I've told and I made her swear she wouldn't inform Command. She's given me some sleeping meds to take but I'm not sure if I will yet. I figure it's less risky to be missing a few hours sleep while on a mission than it is to be doped up on tranqs._

* * *

This was the side of space exploration that Shepard hated.

Therum was the perfect example of the threat of space travel. Toxic atmosphere, heavy volcanic activity, pools of lava. It was like a goddamn underworld made specifically to make her job harder. She would later swear that the Asari scientist and the Geth and joined forces to meet on that particular planet, _just _to make her life difficult. The only things missing were the bloody Thresher Maws, but she was most definitely not about to tempt fate with that one.

After a few narrow escapes from the puddles of molten rock that littered the planet's surface, as well as a run in with a couple of Geth Armatures, the rough terrain proved too much for even the Mako and they were forced to proceed on foot, the Commander choosing to ignore the mutterings of relief. Naturally the Geth had taken the opportunity to set up traps for the advancing team, a sniper in being a particular pain in the proverbial. Shepard could just tell Garrus was grinning when he took it out with his own scope.

Presently they approached the ruined exterior of some sort of mine. Shepard froze, holding up her fist to indicate her squadmates do likewise. It felt too quiet, none of the garbled "speech" the Geth used to communicate, no footsteps. It put her on edge. A few steps further and her combat scanner jammed up, clearly being disrupted by something ahead. Without speaking a word, she began to gesture the other members of her squad into position. Garrus and Williams hung back and found cover amongst the rocks, snipers at the ready and pointing at the ruins. Tali and Alenko took cover behind some nearby crates, her omni-tool at the ready and his biotics flaring as they prepared for a fight. Shepard took point, shotgun in hand and the ever-bloodthirsty Wrex covering her.

As soon as she approached she was grateful for being cautious. The Geth had set up yet another ambush and the second they were in shooting distance, the bullets started flying. She felt a few ram into her shields before she and Wrex got to cover, the others already firing rounds into the fray. She slammed her back into what looked to be a small shipping container, having to quickly sidestep a a Geth hopper slammed to the ground next to her, having been caught by a biotic throw from Kaiden.

She leaned out of cover just long enough to send a shotgun blast straight into an approaching Geth, the force knocking it to the ground as it shut down. She winced as she took cover once more, having seen what was ahead.

"Fuck...Colossus is unpacking! Vakarian, Williams, on it!" She paused to toss a grenade at a pair of shock troops that were advancing, blowing it even as a shot scrapped her armour. She ducked back to let her shields recharge. "Tali, see if you can overload that bastard's shields! Wrex, Kaiden, cover her."

Waiting a few precious seconds for her shields, she broke cover and sprinted forwards, dropping to a crouch behind a broken section of wall. Not a moment later an orb of energy shot past her, barely missing. Undaunted by the near miss and trusting her team to have whittled down the massive Geth's shields, she leaned over the top of the wall and unloaded her shotgun, grinning as the brute finally fell to the ground.

She took a moment to catch her breath after the adrenaline rush, going over to check on the team. A couple had taken a few shots to their armour but thankfully none where wounded.

"Good job people. We're almost done, the ruin is just up ahead." she paused to scan the area. "Alright, Garrus, Ash, I want you to set up outside the ruin in case any more Geth come by. Kaiden, you stay to give them biotic support. Wrex, Tali, you're coming with me. Load up your shotguns, it looks tight."

* * *

The trip through the tunnels went relatively smoothly. They went in quiet, taking out several Geth around the entrance before they were spotted. A handful of drones ambushed them neat the elevator but their shields protected them from the bullets, their shotguns tearing through them with deadly efficiency in the close range of the caves. Things were going fine until the elevator malfunctioned and screeched to a halt. Wrex's response was to growl and pound the controls a few times- Shepard could just imagine her eyes rolling under that mask. "Enough Wrex, breaking it more isn't going to help. Let's just hope there's another way out..." All she got in reply was a grunt, but then she had come to expect as much from the Krogan.

Dropping to the ground, Shepard spun around when she heard a voice coming from behind them.

"Uhm...hello? Is..is someone there? Can you help?"

Looking beyond the shield that seemed to block off the Prothean part of the ruins, she spotted a rather nervous looking Asari suspended in mid air, apparently pinned by the shields.

"Doctor T'Soni I presume?" She lowered her weapon, scanning the shield for any obvious weaknesses.

"Oh thank the Goddess! Please, whoever you are, you have to help me! I have been stuck here for...I am not sure how long, the Geth came and I activated the shields to protect myself but...well, I seem to be stuck here."

"Keelah, How did you get yourself stuck in there?" Shepard groaned a little at the Quarian, intending to avoid the subject. It was pretty obvious and she had been hoping to save the woman some embarrassment.

"I...well...As I said, I needed to get the shields up. In the process, I...seem to have pressed something I wasn't supposed to." Wrex's rough chuckling filled the cavern and Liara's cheeks darkened a little in what Jennifer took to be an embarrassed blush.

"Come on Wrex, cut it out. Liara, my name is Commander Jennifer Shepard. I'm a Spectre, and I'm trying to track down your mother, whom we have reason to believe is working with Saren. I was hoping you could help us."

"My mother? I have no idea where she is...I do not know why she would ally herself with Saren and the Geth but if you can release me I would be glad to help you any way I can!"  
"Why should we trust her." Wrex's questions always sounded more like statements. "She could be working with the Matriarch bitch for all we know."

"I am not my mother! I would never help Saren, he is a monster!" Shepard watched her closely as she spoke, and in her heart, she believed her. There was real anger in her voice.

"The Geth wouldn't be trying to kill her if she was working with them." Wrex simply shrugged, not seeming to care either way. "Alright Liara, I believe you and I'm going to get you out of here. Do you have any ideas on getting past this shield?"

"I...I do not know, I am sorry. Perhaps there may be some other way around? But please Commander, be careful. There are more Geth in the caves, and they are being led by a Krogan." She glanced at Wrex nervously.

"We'll take a look. Don't worry Doctor, we're getting you out of there."

Shepard was reluctant to leave the poor woman alone, but she did seem safe behind the shield. The trio moved further into the caves, the Commander indicating for them to stay low as they investigated. A little further ahead the caves opened out into a larger excavation and she saw Wrex's eyes light up. In the centre was a mining laser, pointed directly at the Prothean ruin.

"Easy Wrex, there's bound to be some Geth through here...switch to your rifle, hang back a little. Tali, stick close to me and keep in cover, if you see any Geth overload their weapons."

Fortunately the Geth presence was relatively sparse and they removed the handful of opponents without difficulty. That only left the laser, which possessed the single strangest and probably most ill-designed lock Shepard had ever encountered.

"Why the hell lock down a fucking mining laser with a memory puzzle?! I think someone needs to have a word with whoever designed this..."

Of course it did make their job easier. The laser bored a hole in the wall (though not without producing some rather concerning rumblings) and they were able to gain access to the doctor.

"Commander! Thank the goddess...how did you get past- no, it does not matter. Please, get me out! There should be a button on that console there..."

"Just a case of superior fire-power" Shepard replied as she checked the console. "There was a mining laser that did the trick."

Fortunately Liara was correct and the barrier containing her disengaged. She dropped to the ground and fell into a crouch. Shepard took a step closer to her without realising, reaching out to steady her a moment too late. Instead she crouched next to her, reaching out and offering her hand. "Are you alright?"

"I...I am fine, thank you Commander. I've just been here for days, I am tired.."She hesitated, then reached to take the Commander's hand.

"Call me Shepard, everybody does. Rank isn't as important when you're a civilian." She pulled the doctor to her feet and stepped back, only to reach out and steady her again an instant later as a loud tremble shook through the building. "Fuck! What the hell was that!"

Earthquakes had put her on edge ever since that day...Akuze. She realised she was holding Liara's shoulder a little more tightly than she should and quickly drew back. She began mentally listing off reasons why It couldn't be a Thresher Maw to reassure herself, hoping her anxiety wasn't obvious.

Liara at least didn't seem to notice. "The laser! It must have set off seismic vibrations through the rock! We need to leave now Comm- Shepard!"

"Fucking brilliant..."She reached for her ear-piece "Joker! Bring the Normandy in on our position ASAP. I may have accidentally triggered a volcano."

"Triggered a...are you serious Commander?"  
"Just get over here!"

And, as if to make her day just that little bit harder, that's when the Krogan decided to show up.

"Surrender! Or don't, that'll be more fun."

Shepard all but facepalmed at the macho display in the middle of an earthquake. "You have got to be kidding me...see this cave? It's fucking coming down on our heads! You might think you're tough but are you really going to survive that?" Annoyingly, the Krogan just shrugged. He looked like he was enjoying this.

"...oh fuck the diplomacy. Charge!"

* * *

A brief firefight later and they found themselves sprinting through collapsing tunnels, Shepard wincing a couple of times as rocks bounced off of her helmet. It became immediately clear that Liara was falling behind; who knew how long she had been down here, she was in no state to be running for her life though clearly the adrenaline was helping. They made it to the entrance tunnel before the Asari finally stumbled and fell. Shepard spotted her and skidded to a halt, yelling at the other two. "Get the hell out! I'm right behind you!" Not pausing to make sure, she ducked to avoid another rock before grabbing the exhausted Liara and swinging her unceremoniously over her shoulder, resuming her mad dash for the exit. She could feel the walkway collapsing behind her but she kept going, not daring to look back.

Until at last, they hit the surface. She dropped to a crouch, lowering Liara to the ground as she panted for breath, risking a glance back at the collapsed tunnel entrance. The rest of the crew where quickly on hand to bundle them into the Mako even as the sound of the Normandy's engines became audible over the screech of crushing metal. Amazingly, they had made it out with no injuries, bar a few cuts and bruises. She left the crew to get out of their armour once they got back to the ship, planning to debrief them shortly after. She needed a moment alone first though. She sat in her cabin and closed her eyes for a few minutes, breathing deeply. Willing the nightmares back into their cages.

* * *

Thanks for taking the time to read this! Hopefully the next installment shell be done soon.


	2. Unruly Emotions

Damn, that took longer than I intended. I have discovered that I have an appalling work ethic even when it's something I actually want to do. Also that writing original dialogue is bloody hard. Anyway, new chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**Medical Log: XX/XX/2183**

**Doctor Karin Chakwas, Chief Medical Officer, SSV Normandy**

**Medical Notes: Commander Jennifer Shepard**

_The Commander continues to worry me with talk of her nightmares. She seemed to be making progress but her interaction with the Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime appears to have triggered a relapse. Scans confirm there is nothing physically wrong with her, she is simply plagued by mental scars._

_She has been deliberately and frustratingly vague regarding the exact nature of her dreams. I find it hard to believe the details of them escape her when she is so clearly and deeply haunted by them. I also feel that the stress of her new position is making things more difficult for her. When pressed, she told me in passing that the stronger sleeping pill I prescribed had helped her only briefly, and that she was again finding it difficult to sleep at all._

_I have taken the step to limit her access to stimulants. I am aware she has been taking them to reduce the appearance of fatigue but they are no replacement for sleep, and the last thing we need is the first human Spectre hooked on stims. It is my hope that she will eventually chose to confide in someone, wether that be myself or another trusted friend or crewmember, and in so doing help to ease her mental stress._

* * *

The debriefing was...a rather unusual one, to say the least. It ended up becoming more of a lecture on Prothean history. Shepard had intended to question Liara about her mother and hopefully gain a few answers, but the Asari had proved more eager than she was expecting. In the end she seemed to have more questions than answers, as did the clearly exhausted Liara.

She had the feeling that the woman would have happily questioned her for another few hours, but she could see how tired she was. She had ordered her down to the med-lab for a check up and some rest, and pretended not to hear the collective sigh of relief from the rest of the crew. Some of them might have found the discussion tedious (she was looking at Williams) but it had shed some light on a confused tangle of images for her and she fully intended to discuss the topic with Liara once she had recovered. For now though, her squad needed to wind down after the mission and she, regrettably, had a report to fill in.

…At least, she should be filling in a report. She found herself sitting at the terminal in her cabin, staring at a blank screen. She was finding it nearly impossible to focus; a mixture of sleep deprivation and the questions still racing through her head. Was Liara right? Had the Protheans been just one in a long line of races wiped almost clinically from the galaxy? Did the Reapers really exist? She felt like there was so much in her vision that she had missed, that her mind simply hadn't been able to decipher from the rush of information. It was all just so...well, alien. What terrified her though was that her suspicions were correct. If Saren was not stopped, she felt sure that civilisation was doomed. But how could she just come out and say that to someone? The Council already thought she was borderline insane, she dreaded the reports she had to make to them, fearing it was only a matter of time before they revoked her Spectre status. Hell, they never would have given it in the first place if they new how troubled her mind really was. It wasn't just paranoia that stopped her from talking about her nightmares.

She sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair, staring at the blank ceiling and willing her mind on to something else. The crew. She had worked with aliens a few times in the past but never so closely as she was now. It surprised her a little just how human they were. She had always believed that humanity needed to work together with the other races of the galaxy, after all, they were there first. She remembered owning a handful of old science fiction novels while growing up and had always believed that space would be this wonderful, mysterious place- to find it inhabited races so similar to her own was at once both disappointing and amazing.

She was grateful for the chance to work more closely with them. Already a friendship was forming between herself and Garrus, it was refreshing to find someone with the same dry sense of humour as her. Wrex was something of a handful, especially when it came to combat, but he did show discipline and she found herself respecting him despite his mercenary attitude. Tali, oddly, felt a lot like a little sister. A little sister with a fascination for engines and a fondness for shotguns, but the feeling was still there, perhaps because she was so young compared to the rest of the crew. Then there was Liara...something about her intrigued Shepard. Her enthusiasm was infectious and Jennifer had found herself trying not to smile as she discussed her theories.

And she was back to thinking about the dreams again. "Fucking hell..." she muttered under her breath before finally shutting down the terminal and rising to her feet. Her mind just wasn't focused enough to write anything at the moment. The Council could survive another hour or two without an official report. She glanced over at her clock, seeing that just under two hours had passed since the debrief. That should have given Dr Chakwas time to look Liara over. She should really let her rest but then, she had said she would check up on her...why not. If she was asleep or anything she could always leave her be and check later. Decision made, she opened the door and strode across the mess hall.

* * *

"Have you come to check up on me, Commander?"

She seemed so nervous. The second Shepard has opened the door her eyes had shot towards her like a child being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. She rose to her feet, somehow managing to look painfully shy and beautifully graceful at the same time. Shepard idly wondered if all Asari just had that sort of grace naturally.

"You don't need to get up, Liara. Sorry if I disturbed you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, the doctor told me you just need some rest."

"She is correct, there is nothing wrong with me. I am just tired from my time on Therum. I was impressed with her knowledge of my species' physiology though, I had no idea human doctors could be so proficient in dealing with members of other species."

"Dr Chakwas is one of the best. And she had to be trained to deal with non-humans, after all I already managed to recruit half the galaxy onto my ship." She smiled a little, trying to make Liara feel more comfortable.

Liara nodded "That also surprised me. I have had very little contact with your species so I'm afraid much of what I know is based more in rumour than in fact. Humans have something of a reputation in the galaxy as being violent and unreasonable. It is a great comfort to see that those rumours are false."

"Oh, completely. I'm only violent and unreasonable when people get on my bad side. Or when I don't get my coffee first thing in the morning." She couldn't hide her grin at the look on Liara's face, a mixture of concern and confusion. "I'm kidding, Liara."

"Oh! I'm so sorry Commander, I am not yet used to your kind's sense of humour..."

"Eh, wouldn't worry about it. Most of my kind isn't used to my sense of humour either."

Liara gave a small, shy smile that made Jennifer's heart jump. "I...I am glad you came to see me, Commander. I wanted to thank you again, not just for saving my life but for allowing me the chance to work with you. I am already learning a great deal about humanity as a while, and I feel there is a great deal I could learn about you. There is something fascinating about you, if you do not mind me saying so. You must have an incredible willpower to unite and command different people and species as yo do. And then there is the beacon...I do not imagine many people experiencing that and escaping as unscathed as you. Your strength is remarkable." She seemed to catch herself then, realising that she was babbling a little and falling silent. Jennifer wondered if that pale lilac colour spreading across her cheeks was a blush, if so it was the cutest damn thing she had ever seen. It even made her giggle a little. What the hell? Special ops trained Spectre commanders don't _giggle_!

Even so, she still had a stupid smile on her face when she replied "Sounds like you want to lock me up in a lab somewhere."

Much to her surprise, Liara's eyes widened and some of the colour seemed to drain from her face. "N-no! That's not what I meant at all! I simply meant that you would be fascinating to study more in depth – Oh Goddess, that sounds worse..."

Jennifer bit her lip, having to fight the urge to laugh. There was something so endearing about the nervous young woman (young? She was more then five times her age! Not that she seemed like it...) She found herself almost wanting to hug her to clam her down. Well damn, that _was_ new. Shepard was most definitely not a touchy-feely sort of person.

"Calm down, Liara. I was joking again. I did warn you I have a difficult sense of humour."

"W-what? You...Oh Goddess, I am a fool. You see now why I am uncomfortable around other people. Please forgive me Commander, I must sound like an idiot babbling the way I have been."

Jennifer just kept smiling, finding that she loved the Asari's awkward manner. "There's nothing to forgive. Just relax a little okay? I'm don't bite. And I told you, you don't need to call me Commander. Shepard is just fine."

"Thank you...Shepard."

* * *

Jennifer stuck around a bit longer, just talking. They spoke about her visions from the beacon some more and she found that Liara's insight helped her understand what she had seen a bit more. The visions had been blurred at first but they were starting to take shape, and something she saw seemed horribly familiar...

Oddly though, she found that she wasn't worrying about it as much as she would normally be. She found that she enjoyed Liara's company and that it was nice just to have someone she could _talk_ to. They were two completely different people and yet she felt she could tell Liara anything. Of course, there were still plenty of things she kept to herself.

They began to talk more about Liara herself and about her mother. Jennifer got the impression they weren't that close, but that Liara still loved her dearly and feared for her.

"Shepard...when you go looking for her. Take me with you. I need to see her again...perhaps I can talk to her, reason with her and let her see the madness in what she is doing."

"Are you sure? You know that if she refuses to see reason...I can't afford to hold back."

"I...I know...And if it comes to that, I want to be there with her in her final moments."

Her heart wrenched when she saw the beginnings of tears in the woman's eyes; without thinking she reached forward and took her hand lightly. "You have my word Liara. I'll make sure you're there, and I will do everything I can to see that it doesn't come to that."

Liara looked down at her hand, a little surprised, then gave that same, shy smile. "Thank you Shepard. It means a great deal to me to hear you say that."

Slowly, Jennifer drew her hand away, suddenly feeling deeply awkward, as though something intimate had passed between the two without her knowledge. She did her best to cover the lapse, smiling again and letting the bravado hide the crack in her armour. "That reminds me! You'll need some armour if you're coming out on missions. I'm sure your biotics are powerful but I'd be a lot happier if you had a gun too. We're heading back to the Citadel to resupply, we should arrive tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully we can pick some gear up for you then."

She excused herself at last, feeling a little guilty at keeping the obviously exhausted Asari up for so long. She made her way quickly back to her cabin, not noticing the odd glance the lieutenant gave her as she walked past. She found herself once more slumped in front of her terminal, her thoughts once again tearing her mind from work, though this time they were filled with fears of a different kind. Why did she feel so comfortable talking to Liara? They had only just met for god's sake! She wasn't even human but she was stirring feelings that Shepard hadn't felt in years, since before she joined the Alliance. Certainly she was attractive and it wasn't exactly secret that her preferences lay in attractive women but damnit, she had a mission to do! And she couldn't afford to be distracted by a pretty face like this! Her face set in a scowl, she finally began to type and buried herself in her work for the rest of the evening. It was just a stupid crush, nothing more, and by god was she going to get over it before somebody got shot.

* * *

_Shepard sprinted through the dirt, heading for the cover of a Mako. A cloud of dust blanketed her vision, she could only see shadows. 50 marines had been with her at the start, god only knew how many were still following. She thought she could see a few through the haze but she couldn't be sure. She yelled into her mic for them to regroup but any response was lost to the ceaseless rumbling and constant screaming._

_Suddenly another soldier appeared out of the dust, sprinting alongside her. She saw her own terror reflected in his eyes. Just as suddenly, he was gone and another heart stopping scream sounded. The rumbling grew louder, the ground shaking violently beneath her feet. She stumbled, and as she rose she felt a sharp sting as acid splashed her and immediately began to eat through her armour._

_Finally the Mako came into view and she threw herself behind it, leaning out and pumping the trigger of her shotgun long past it's point of overheating. She ducked back and hunkered down against the vehicle as more tremors shook the ground. Bodies started falling out of the air around her, some missing limbs, some drenched in acid and dissolving before her eyes. And still the screams of pain. She found herself forced to look at the faces of the corpses nearest, their faces all pointing at her. Accusing eyes boring into her._

_Something shifted. She scrambled forwards as she realised the Mako was gone, in it's place the body of a Thresher Maw rising out of the ground to tower over her, it's twisted mouth open to it's fullest. Gone was the dust cloud, giving her a clear view of black sky, twisted metal and roaring flames. The bodies around her seemed to mutate before her eyes, flesh giving way to metal, veins of blue spreading through them as they slowly began to rise. She saw familiar faces amongst them, the fallen of Akuze accompanied by the crew of the Normandy. The sky was filled with blurry insect-like shapes, falling ominously towards her with metal claws outstretched. The Thresher Maw cried out and slammed down towards her and-_

Shepard bolted upright, her hand scrambling for her pistol before she realised where she was. She took a deep, shuddering breath, then slowly released it, not daring to close her eyes lest the images came back. She ran a hand through her short hair, it's red hue darkened by the cold sweat that drenched her.

"It's worse...fuck it, it's getting worse..."

She looked up, realising that she had fallen asleep at her terminal again. She had finished her report to the Counsel and started trawling through the various reports for minerals and artefacts the Normandy had picked up along the way before she had finally given in to her bodies' desperate need for sleep. The clock showed that only a few hours had passed, but there was no way in hell she could sleep again now.

She rose shakily, leaning against her desk for a good minute until her breathing was in check. When she had at last calmed down somewhat, she left her quarters and made her way to the showers. She was up now, might as well get a head start on the day ahead.


End file.
